Identities: Applying Feminism factsheet

Applying feminism: blog task

1) Briefly list or describe the different waves of feminism.

First wave - was concerned with creating equality between men and women and focused on legal inequalities such as voting rights and property ownership. This cause was brought to light by the suffragette movement.

Second wave - was associated with the women's liberation movement. they were interested in creating equality elsewhere in women's lives such as the workplace and family

Third wave - laws of equality have been established, this wave are concerned with negative stereotypes of women, their right to control their sexuality and reproductive issues - abortion and contraceptives.

2) The factsheet doesn't mention a fourth wave of feminism. Do you think we are currently in a fourth wave of feminism due to digital media?

- I think that may be the case due to the fact that the rise in the use of social media has changed the way we in which we receive information and it has also helped reach a wider audience more quickly through different techniques. Therefore an issue like feminism will change in the way it is consumed by the audience due to this. Examples of this would be the increase of campaigns set in place to promote the understanding of different issues.

3) List the five different types of feminism with a one-sentence definition for each.

Radical Feminism - Sees the cause of women's oppression is by men.

Liberal Feminism - concerned with gender socialisation and that gender roles are not biologically determined.

Marxist Feminism - Looks at women's oppression in relation to capitalism and the class system.

Black Feminism - concerned with black and Asian women’s experiences of oppression and exploitation. It combines ideas about capitalism, patriarchy and anti-racism.

Postmodern Feminism - It acknowledges the diversity amongst women and encourages individual women to find feminist ideas that combine with their own experiences of life 

4) Summarise Laura Mulvey's analysis of Hollywood film.

- Mulvey believes that the classis Hollywood film is created to portray women in a way that is for the pleasure of men and that they are meant to be looked at. This is known as the male gaze. She suggested that in order to challenge this we must change the cinematography of films. She also explains how the male gaze is still present in mainstream/contemporary Hollywood films.

5) What does Jean Kilbourne argue regarding advertising and the impact on women?

- She started analysing the representation of women in advertising. She argued that advertisement is  selling more that products. It is also selling ideas of what it is to be normal on our society. In the advertising industry, she believes, a woman's body is the most important thing about her and that there is unrealistic goal to reach that version of perfection that cant be achieved that is being deemed normal.

6) Summarise Naomi Wolf's theory of 'The Beauty Myth'.

- Wolf claims that the notion of beauty is entirely socially constructed and patriarchal. In the sense that men in a given society create rules of what is considered beautiful in women but this alters from culture to culture. She believes that even though women have achieved more equality in terms of voting and regulations in the workplace, male dominated society continues to oppress women by making them focus of on whether they are considered beautiful or not.

7) List the texts discussed in the section 'feminism and music videos'. Do you believe that the representation of women in music videos can have an impact on how people behave in real life?

1 - Nelly: Tip-drill

2 - Beyoncé: Run the World

3 - NineteenPercent's feminist response to Who Runs The World.

8) To conclude feminism, do you believe than men and women are basically equal now or is there still a need for feminist movements?

- I think feminism is still required in western societies as there are people who are vocalising their opinions and standing against what is wrong. I think they way they are voicing these opinions has changed to suit the changing society. I think men and women have become more equal but not completely equal.